A Lifetime (Grand Finale)

At night, Riki's living room was bustling with activity. Sakiko and Mana were frying chicken nuggets and making cold dishes in the kitchen, laughing and exchanging cooking tips. Kaname Runa was grabbing whatever she saw in the kitchen and sneaking a bite, while Shiina Riki tugged at her collar in exasperation. Miao Meng and Aine sat on the sofa watching the recording of the Kohaku Uta Gassen on TV, criticizing the cameraman for making their pretty faces look like an 8 out of 10; they should be 1000 points. Su Shi and Deng sat in the hallway outside the French windows, swinging their legs and looking at the stars in the night sky, pointing at them and reciting their names. Chu Hua and Hailing were amused by the humorous remarks of the Kohaku Uta Gassen hosts. Riki and He Mu sat quietly to the side, watching.

"Riki very happy," Wakaba Mutsuki said, looking at Riki.

"Hmm." Riki didn't know what to say for a moment, but she smiled sincerely and said, "Seeing everyone so happy makes me happy too."

Wakaba Mutsuki said softly, "Everyone will be just as happy in the future, because Riki is here."

"Mu, have you become more eloquent?" Riki asked Wakaba Mutsuki curiously.

Wakaba Mutsuki's usually expressionless face flushed slightly, and she lowered her head shyly.

Chihaya Anon waved from the other end. "Riki, come here quickly! We're playing cards again today. The loser gets a stroke drawn on their face!"

"Get ready to welcome the God of Poker!" Riki walked over without fear.

Wakaba Mutsuki watched the lively scene before her, a smile appeared on her face, just like when she used to watch Crychic. But this time, she didn't remain an outsider; instead, she went over and joined in.

"Aine, did you hide the cards just now?" Riki's eyes were sharp.

"No!" Aine guiltily.

"Really? Cheating is despicable." Shiina Riki stood beside him, propping her chin on her hand, speechless. "Turn your face around already."

"Hmm..."

Chihaya Anon had a turtle drawn on her forehead. She glanced in the mirror, her face contorted in despair. "It's so ugly!!"

"Anon-chan, cheating is still wrong," said Sumiida Mana. Although she and Aine were good friends, she still wanted to stand up for fairness in this matter.

"Next, it's my turn!" Meow Dream wiggled her shoulder and walked over, eager to try. "I'm going to draw 'Meow Dream is my favorite' on Riki's face, and then we'll have a fair and square duel!"

"... You hid your cards?"

"No," Miao Meng said guiltily.

No wonder he's Aine's fashion mentor; even his cheating methods are similar.

A Tibetan fox was drawn on Miaomeng's face, and Miaomeng had no choice but to leave.

"I'll go next," Hachiman Mairin said with a smile.

"These fried chicken nuggets that Sakiko made are delicious," Takamatsu Akari said to Toyokawa Sakiko with a smile from the sofa.

"Then let's make lamps too," Toyokawa Sakiko chuckled.

Everyone in the living room was chatting and laughing, their cheerful laughter carrying far and wide through the night.

Early in the morning, just as dawn was breaking and the first rays of sunlight had not yet set, Chihaya Anon was already hurriedly calling everyone to get up.

"Hurry, hurry, we'll miss the first shrine visit!" Chihaya Anon urged.

Everyone stayed up very late yesterday and fell asleep right there in the living room. No one caught a cold because the heating was on, but if we didn't get up soon, we'd be squeezed to the door by the crowds at the temple.

They have to be the first!

Before dawn, Riki and the others arrived at Meiji Jingu in a daze, where many people dressed in kimonos had already come for their first shrine visit.

Sakiko and the others were also dressed in exquisite kimonos.

"What does Riki wish for?" Toyokawa Sakiko approached Riki, her beautiful face smiling gently. Her exquisite kimono made her look as beautiful as Princess Kaguya on the moon.

"That's a secret." Riki shook her head.

Toyokawa Sakiko pouted slightly. Because it was the first shrine visit of the year, she had put on light makeup. Her rosy lips were glistening and beautiful, and her face looked extremely cute.

Sakiko and his group of beautiful girls were quite eye-catching at the first shrine visit, stunning many people. They immediately changed their wishes from academic progress to finding such a beautiful girlfriend, not caring which one they were, as long as they had one.

"Slap! Slap!"

Miao Meng clasped her hands together twice and bowed her head devoutly. "I hope I can make a lot of money this year so that I can live a life of comfort and happiness for the rest of my days."

It's a wish that a cat can make.

Riki and Sakiko also went up to pay their respects. Sakiko clapped his hands twice, closed his eyes, and made a wish.

I beg the gods, I hope I can be as happy as I am now in the future.

When Sakiko opened her eyes, she saw that Riki was already waiting for her.

"Did Riki make a wish so quickly?" Sakiko asked curiously.

"Because I don't have any wishes to make," Riki waved her hand.

Sakiko was somewhat dissatisfied. "Don't even my wishes have been granted?"

She went to the side, bought an Ema), wrote her wish on it, and hung it up. Suddenly, she noticed that there was already a newly written Ema by Riki, whose wish was—

Just fulfill my girlfriends' wishes, Riki.

Toyokawa Sakiko smiled and ran over to Riki, standing quietly with a happy expression.

"Why are you suddenly so happy?" Riki asked.

"It's nothing," Toyokawa Sakiko chuckled.

She looked up at the snow in the sky. The last time she visited the Toyokawa family on New Year's Day, she felt lost and afraid because of the uncertain future she would have after leaving the Toyokawa Family.

She wanted to tell her past self not to be afraid, that in a little while... in March, spring would come and she would meet the person who loved her most in the world.

So, let's hang in there a little longer.

I'm very happy now.

Riki took Sakiko's hand, a beautiful smile on her face.

Chapter 273 A Lifetime (The Finale)

Haicheng Concert Hall.

Toyokawa Sakiko and the others sat in the audience. Because Riki had given them tickets, they were very close to the stage, and they could see the principal and teachers of Riki's school from the first two rows.

"If we lose, how are we going to comfort Riki?" Miao Meng whispered to Sakiko, "Will sleeping with him cheer him up?"

"Why assume we'll lose?" Shiina Riki said, speechless.

"Riki must have been well prepared," Toyokawa Sakiko whispered to Miao Meng with a smile in the quiet concert hall. She knew best how hard Riki had worked since they first met.

Nagasaki Sose and the others waited quietly in their seats for the match to begin.

The curtain was quickly drawn back, and Su Shi saw the beautiful female captain of the Beijing team. His eyes narrowed; this woman was definitely an enemy.

Her breasts are very large.

After the first performance, Sakiko and the others were a little worried. The average level was so high that even Riki would be nervous.

Riki performed last, that is, eighth in line.

Finally, they saw Riki's band come on stage.

"Is everything alright?" Toyokawa Sakiko mouthed to Riki from afar.

Riki thought for a moment, then mouthed back earnestly, "I love you too."

The lights in the audience area were dim, so Riki couldn't see clearly what Sakiko was saying to him.

But it was definitely a declaration of love and a gesture of support.

He has confidence in Teacher Da Xiang.

"I wasn't confessing my feelings." Toyokawa Sakiko helplessly, looking at Riki under the spotlight. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, and Su Shi and the others next to her watched with bright eyes.

Riki addressed the judges and audience. "The piece I'll be performing next is 'Happiness,' which I composed for the most important people I've met this year..."

His words were sincere.

The Rokko, standing nearby, said to violinist Macron with a touch of emotion, "I didn't realize we were so important to him. Let's try to be less critical of him in the future. But he's wrong about one thing; we've known each other for almost two years..."

The girls in the audience chuckled softly as they listened to Riki's words, and then they heard pleasant music begin to play.

It was as if I could hear all the heartache, sadness, and immense joy of the past year.

Toyokawa Sakiko listened, her eyes grew brighter and brighter, and she smiled happily as she watched Riki perform.

At the entrance of the concert hall.

"Mana, if Riki gets upset after losing the election, let's roll around in bed with him tonight," Miao Meng sighed, patting Mana's shoulder.

"Eh?! Why me...? The two of us definitely won't work!" Sumiida Mana said, blushing and flustered.

Is it denying that there are two people involved...? Meow Dream thought to herself.

At that moment, Riki ran over from the side door.

"How is it?" Toyokawa Sakiko asked hurriedly.

Riki sighed and extended her index and middle fingers.

"Second place?" Nagasaki Sose's face stiffened, and she quickly thought of words of comfort in her mind.

Looking at the nervous expressions of the beautiful girls in front of her, Riki pinched two fingers together. "What I mean is, yay!... It's first place."

They immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Shiina Riki walked over and kicked Riki: "Explain this to me clearly!"

Rikki, the worried look on your face just now, were you thinking of comforting me with your perfect body?

"Thanks to everyone's help, I was able to compose my most satisfying piece. This award is also for you all. Thank you!" Riki looked sincerely at the beautiful girls in front of her.

"Then... let's go home first!" Riki said with a smile.

Bangbang World, Riki.

"Riki for winning the championship!"

It's not alcohol, but milk and juice.

"I want to drink beer!" Meow Dream complained, tilting her head back while holding a juice.

No one paid any attention to her, except for Mana next to her, who Mana explained to her the dangers of excessive drinking.

Toyokawa Sakiko, holding a glass of juice in both hands, smiled at Riki and said, "But Riki, you actually followed the Musical Score properly this time, which is an improvement. It's always better to perform like a rehearsal."

"... The piece I submitted was not the same piece that was played at the time," Riki said.

"?" Sakiko.

The girls all looked at Riki.

"That song, 'Happiness,' was a super great piece that suddenly came to me on the morning of the competition. I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't play it. I studied it seriously with Rokko Zi and the others for half a minute, and spent twenty-five seconds of that time thinking about how to deal with the principal's pursuit if I failed to win. Everyone approved my proposal," Riki said.

Although the principal's expression remained as cold as ever, with cold sweat dripping down his face and his eyes gleaming with greed, the smiles of the other school principals around him immediately shifted to his face after he received the award.

This time was different from the last... This time, we won!

"It's all thanks to you all," Riki said with a smile.

"As expected, Riki is still Riki," Toyokawa Sakiko said with a helpless smile. "But as long as the result is good, that's all that matters."

The celebration lasted until 11 p. m., with smiles on everyone's faces.

"We'll be senior students starting school tomorrow," Toyokawa Sakiko chuckled.

"Japan's winter break is too short, only two weeks," Riki shook her head.

"Quite a lot," Toyokawa Sakiko gently shook her head under Riki's gaze, and said happily, "Because we still have a lifetime ahead of us."

That's true.

You have a lifetime ahead of you.

The celebration went on late, and everyone unknowingly fell asleep at Riki's house, some slumped over the table, others lying on the sofa. Riki covered them all with light blankets and turned the heating on to a comfortable temperature.

The next morning, in order to make it to the start of school, the girls quickly changed into their new school uniforms as soon as they woke up, Kaname Runa also changed into the Hanasakigawa High School uniform.

"Rikki, help me tie my tie." Kaname Runa tugged at Rikki's sleeve.

"Honestly, you should have said so earlier!" Shiina Riki said irritably as she helped Kaname Runa tie her first-year-old-colored tie. Even though she was the upperclassman, Kaname Runa was bossing her around. This Wild Cat really didn't know how to respect her upperclassman.

Riki noticed that Sakiko was also wearing his second-year high school uniform.